Student Life
School is about more than academics. At Janus, we offer a variety of extracurricular activities through various clubs and sports to help students develop social thinking skills, find new interests, raise self-esteem, and build strong relationships. Our expansive campus includes an outdoor classroom and nature area along Little Chiques Creek, providing rich opportunities for students to play and explore the world around them.
At Janus, we believe that nurturing the joys and passions of our students is essential to helping them thrive. Our students with learning differences come to school each day ready to work hard on the things that challenge them most, and that takes courage, perseverance, and heart. By celebrating what excites and inspires them, we help students see themselves as capable, creative learners whose interests matter just as much as their effort. Their passions remind us that joy and growth go hand in hand.
Extracurricular activities are more than extra. The same leading practices and goals that drive instruction in our classrooms are continued through all our offerings to provide more opportunities for growth.
Clubs
A variety of rotating clubs are offered after and during school. Each is tailored to meet the current interests of students. Clubs offer another avenue for students to build strong social networks, explore new interests, and practice and enhance skills in a supportive and fun environment.
Students are encouraged to share their ideas for developing new clubs. Offerings change annually based on student interest and have included:
- Outdoor Club
- Janus Theater Ensemble
- Guitar Club
- 3D Printing/Makerspace
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Creative Writing Club
Transportation
The Janus School provides roundtrip transportation options for students from around the region. Buses and vans make multiple stops at predetermined meeting points around Lancaster, Harrisburg, York, Reading, and Lebanon/Hershey. Additionally, the Mount Joy Amtrak station is located one mile from Janus, and transportation can be provided from the train station to the school at a nominal cost. Visit Amtrak to view train timetables.
Lunch Program
The Janus School offers daily lunch options for students that are healthy, well-balanced, and provide all the nutrition they need to succeed at school. Each meal includes milk or water, fruits and vegetables, proteins, and grains and is provided through a partnership with the Lancaster County Career & Technology Center in Mount Joy.
Students with restricted diets or allergies can be accommodated with special meals. Menus are distributed each month for pre-orders. Click here to see a sample menu.
Sports
While Janus is a small school, we recognize the important skills and lessons taught through organized sports. Middle and Upper Division students are encouraged to join the Janus Bowling Team during the second trimester. Students practice after school and have scheduled matches with other local high schools.
Through a cooperative with Lancaster Catholic High School, Upper Division students can fully participate in band, color guard, and a variety of other sports, including football, cross country, soccer, golf, swimming, wrestling, track & field, and baseball.
Creative Arts
A meaningful and comprehensive art program accomplishes much more than providing students with an alternative to traditional academics. Curriculum and instruction in creative arts is designed to help students acquire and strengthen specific skills that span across all classes.
Art instruction at Janus begins with a student’s current level of artistic development and combines step-by-step instruction, concrete examples, and modeling to help students acquire new types of skills. Allowing time to explore, experiment, and practice builds confidence and helps students develop the skills to express their ideas and concepts with clarity.
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Find your child’s path to success with personalized learning at Janus.